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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — to tease
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. field — for sport
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. kid — child
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. field — a subject
  14. pop — music
  15. field — farmland
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pop — soda
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. pop — to visit
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. safe — a strongbox

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com